If Manchester City's summer shopping list wasn’t already long enough, Stefan Ortega's 'catastrophic' performance against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday will surely have Pep Guardiola asking for some extra funds when the season wraps up. A 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium kept the Citizens from breaking into the top four of the Premier League.
The Seagulls fought back twice to earn the draw, and as the season nears its end, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the reigning four-time champions need a squad overhaul. City were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in a playoff tie, eliminated in the League Cup fourth round by Tottenham, and their only remaining shot at silverware is through the FA Cup.
Some of the seeds of a transition period were sowed in January, with Omar Marmoush and Abdoukodir Khusanov's arrivals appearing to steady the ship somewhat. However, after Ortega’s recent blunder and Ederson's fondness for eccentricities, it looks like City will be looking for a new goalkeeper in the summer as well.
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Stefan Ortega's Performance During 2-2 Draw With Brighton
The German's efforts to stop Estupinan's free-kick were comical
Stefan Ortega
At the start of the season, there was little debate about Ortega’s reputation as one of the top backup goalkeepers in world football. Before long, he was handed the number one shirt after Ederson’s adventurous playing style led to too many costly mistakes for Guardiola’s liking, even though that risk has been rewarded with him becoming the goalkeeper with the most assists in Premier League history.
Suddenly, however, his future seems uncertain. Against Brighton, he faced three shots on target and conceded two goals. Yet, it was his lazy attempt (or lack thereof) to stop Pervis Estupinan's free-kick from finding the net that summed up his performance the best. Watch the goal below:
Moreover, the German completed only 69% of his pass attempts, prevented -1.36 goals, and received a Sofascore rating of just 6.5. His performance highlighted his struggle to meet the manager's needs in finding a goalkeeper who is reliable not only in making saves and staying composed but also in contributing to the buildup play without trying too hard to be the hero all the time like Ederson.
Ortega
Ortega Shown Exit Door as Pressure Grows
The Man City supporters have made their feelings known about their goalkeeper unit
Stefan Ortega replacing Ederson
Man City fans have made it clear what they think of their goalkeepers in the aftermath of another disappointing draw, as social media was abuzz with criticism. "Every time Ortega isn’t playing, people clamour for him to play like he’s some big upgrade on Ederson and every time he is playing he’s catastrophic," one user posted on X. Another added:
"Ederson and Ortega are definitely in constant competition with each other on who is the worst goalkeeper."
A third comment remarked: "Ortega went from challenging Ederson for GK1 to being a must-sell in the span of a calendar year. he's been horrendous," while a fourth added: "Saudi is calling." A fifth concluded: "We really need to Sell Ortega. No reaction from him. He just watched the ball into net."
Manchester City's next match is the FA Cup quarter-final against Bournemouth on March 30, where they will be going all in to prevent their season from ending in complete disappointment.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore (correct as of 15/03/2025)